Tonneau cover

ABSTRACT

A tonneau cover for covering the opening of a cargo bed of a pickup truck. The tonneau cover includes a sandwich panel including a structural core, a first layered section, and a second layered section. The structural core has a top surface and a bottom surface. The first layered section is coupled to the top surface of the structural core, and a second layered section is coupled to the bottom surface of the structural core. Each of the first and second layered sections includes a reinforcement layer, and at least one of the reinforcement layers of the first and second layered sections is a carbon fiber mat. The tonneau cover may have a single panel configuration or a tri-panel configuration.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to a tonneau cover for a pickup truck,and in particular to a tonneau cover based on a honeycomb-core compositepanel including recycled carbon fiber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pickup trucks have functional attributes that permit them to be used fora range of applications. This is evident in the market, as pickup trucksare immensely popular for both recreational and work-related transport.Pickup trucks are now available in a range of configurations, but aregenerally regarded as providing an enclosed cab, for the driver andpassengers, and an open rear cargo bed. Although the cargo bed isbordered by two sidewall sections, and a rear tailgate, the top side ofthe cargo bed is open, therein presenting certain issues relating tosecurity, privacy and general securement of items contained therein.

To ensure items placed within the cargo area are protected from beingstolen and/or vandalized, and to prevent inadvertent loss due to itemsfalling out of the cargo bed during transport, a variety of cargo bedenclosure systems have been proposed, including tonneau covers. Where anenclosure is provided for a cargo bed, ease of access remains ofparamount importance, to ensure the user is not obstructed and/orprevented from using the available cargo space as needed. As the abilityof the user to open the tonneau cover is a primary consideration inselecting a suitable enclosure, the weight profile of the tonneau coveris important. It is therefore desirable to provide a tonneau cover thatis of reduced weight, while still providing the desired structuralperformance and aesthetic qualities sought after in today's pickup truckmarket.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments hereof relate to a tonneau cover for covering the opening ofa cargo bed of a pickup truck. The tonneau cover includes a sandwichpanel including a structural core, a first layered section, and a secondlayered section. The structural core has a top surface and a bottomsurface. The first layered section is coupled to the top surface of thestructural core, and a second layered section is coupled to the bottomsurface of the structural core. Each of the first and second layeredsections includes a reinforcement layer, and at least one of thereinforcement layers of the first and second layered sections is acarbon fiber mat.

Embodiments hereof also relate to a tonneau cover assembly that includesa tri-fold tonneau cover having a first panel, a second panel, and athird panel. Each of the first, second and third panels is formed as acomposite sandwich panel. The composite sandwich panel includes astructural core, a first layered component, and a second layeredcomponent. The structural core has a core top surface and a core bottomsurface. The first layered component is coupled to the core top surface.The second layered component is coupled to the core bottom surface. Eachof the first and second layered components include a reinforcementlayer, and at least one of the reinforcement layers of the first andsecond layered components is a carbon fiber mat.

Embodiments hereof also relate to a method of manufacturing a tonneaucover for covering the opening of a cargo bed of a pickup truck. A firstreinforcement layer is disposed onto a top surface of a structural core.A second reinforcement layer is disposed onto a bottom surface of thestructural core. At least one of the first reinforcement layer and thesecond reinforcement layer is a carbon fiber mat. A coating layer isapplied onto each of the first reinforcement layer and the secondreinforcement layer, and application of the coating layer serves toadhere the first reinforcement layer and the second reinforcement layerto the structural core to form a sandwich panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description of embodiments thereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings,which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification,further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable aperson skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention. Thedrawings are not to scale.

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a pickup truck showing a cargo bed.

FIG. 2a is a rear perspective view of the pickup truck according to FIG.1, showing a first embodiment of a tonneau cover installed on the cargobed, the tonneau cover shown in the closed position.

FIG. 2b is a rear perspective view of the pickup truck according to FIG.1, showing the tonneau cover of FIG. 2a in the open position.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of a sandwich panel forming thetonneau cover of FIG. 2 a.

FIG. 4a shows a step involved in manufacturing the sandwich panel ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 4b shows a step involved in manufacturing the sandwich panel ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 4c shows a step involved in manufacturing the sandwich panel ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 4d shows a step involved in manufacturing the sandwich panel ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of an edge trim, usedfor finishing the edges of the sandwich panel of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of an edge trim, usedfor finishing the edges of the sandwich panel of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of the sandwich panel of FIG. 3,showing an anchor insert intended to provide a secure attachment pointfor functional hardware.

FIG. 8a shows an alternative embodiment of a tonneau cover incorporatingthree sections that can be roll-folded to permit user access to a cargobed.

FIG. 8b shows another view of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 8 a.

FIG. 8c shows another view of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 8 a.

FIG. 9a is a rear perspective view of the pickup truck according to FIG.1, showing a second embodiment of a tonneau cover assembly installed onthe cargo bed, the tonneau cover shown as a tri-fold tonneau cover in aclosed position.

FIG. 9b is a side view of the tonneau cover assembly according to FIG.9a , showing the tonneau cover in the closed position.

FIG. 10a is a perspective view of the tonneau cover assembly accordingto FIG. 9a , showing the tonneau cover in a first opened position.

FIG. 10b is a side view of the tonneau cover assembly according to FIG.9a , showing the tonneau cover in the first opened position.

FIG. 11a is a perspective view of the tonneau cover assembly accordingto FIG. 9a , showing the tonneau cover in a second opened position.

FIG. 11b is a side view of the tonneau cover assembly according to FIG.9a , showing the tonneau cover in the second opened position.

FIG. 12a is a perspective view of the tonneau cover assembly accordingto FIG. 9a , showing the tonneau cover in a third opened position.

FIG. 12b is a side view of the tonneau cover assembly according to FIG.9a , showing the tonneau cover in the third opened position.

FIG. 13a is a perspective view of the tonneau cover assembly accordingto FIG. 9a , showing a rail system for mounting the tonneau cover to thecargo bed of the pickup truck.

FIG. 13b is an exploded perspective view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing panels forming the tri-fold tonneaucover.

FIG. 14 is a partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing in greater detail a first hinge assembly.

FIG. 15 is a partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing in greater detail a second hingeassembly.

FIG. 16a is a partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing in greater detail a profile through aside rail of the rail system.

FIG. 16b is another partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing in greater detail a profile through aside rail of the rail system.

FIG. 17a is a partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing in greater detail a profile through atailgate rail of the rail system.

FIG. 17b is another partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing in greater detail a profile through atailgate rail of the rail system.

FIG. 18a is a partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing in greater detail a profile through amount rail of the rail system.

FIG. 18b is another partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing in greater detail a profile through amount rail of the rail system.

FIG. 19 is a partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing in greater detail a seating of thetonneau cover relative to the rail system.

FIG. 19a is a partial sectional view of a tonneau cover assemblyaccording to another embodiment hereof, wherein side rails of a railsystem include a two-part construction.

FIG. 20 is a partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing in greater detail a coupling member and aretainer pin for attaching the tonneau cover to the mount rail.

FIG. 21 is another partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing in greater detail a coupling member and aretainer pin for attaching the tonneau cover to the mount rail.

FIG. 22a is a perspective view of the tonneau cover assembly accordingto FIG. 9a , showing aspects of a lock feature for retaining the tonneaucover in the first opened position.

FIG. 22b is an enlarged view of the lock feature shown in FIG. 22 a.

FIG. 22c is another enlarged view of the lock feature shown in FIG. 22a.

FIG. 23 is a bottom view of the tonneau cover assembly according to FIG.9a , showing aspects of a latch system.

FIG. 24a is a partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing aspects of various embodiments for thelatch system.

FIG. 24b is another partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing aspects of various embodiments for thelatch system.

FIG. 25 is another partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing aspects of various embodiments for thelatch system.

FIG. 26 is another partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing aspects of various embodiments for thelatch system.

FIG. 27 is another partial sectional view of the tonneau cover assemblyaccording to FIG. 9a , showing aspects of various embodiments for thelatch system.

FIG. 28 is a partial view of the tonneau cover assembly according toFIG. 9a , showing aspects of the rail system that permit for access tostake pockets on the cargo bed.

FIG. 29 and FIG. 30 illustrate another embodiment of FIG. 29 is apartial sectional view of a rail system that serves to facilitate themounting of a tonneau cover to a cargo bed, showing a profile through aside rail of the rail system.

FIG. 30 is a partial sectional view of the rail system of FIG. 29,showing a profile through a tailgate rail of the rail system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and isnot intended to limit the disclosure or the application and uses of thedisclosure. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize thatother configurations and arrangements can be used without departing fromthe scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, there is no intention to bebound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the precedingtechnical field, background, brief summary, or the following detaileddescription.

It should be noted that in the description, terms such as forward, frontand derivations of these terms are intended to mean or refer to anorientation directed towards, or a location situated towards, the frontof the vehicle or component in question relative to its orientationwithin a vehicle. Similarly, terms such as rearward, rear andderivations of these terms are intended to mean or refer to anorientation directed towards, or a location situated towards, the backof the vehicle or component in question relative to its orientationwithin a vehicle. Terms such as up, upper, upward, and derivations ofthese terms are intended to mean or refer to an orientation that isabove or on a top side of the vehicle or component in question relativeto its orientation within a vehicle. Terms such as lower, down,downward, and derivations of these terms are intended to mean or referto an orientation that is below or on a bottom side of the vehicle orcomponent in question relative to its orientation within a vehicle. Theterm outer, outboard, outside and derivations of these terms is intendedto mean or refer to an orientation directed towards, or a locationsituated outwardly from the side of the vehicle or component in questionrelative to its orientation within a vehicle. The term inner, inboard,inside and derivations of these terms is intended to mean or refer to anorientation directed towards, or a location situated towards alongitudinal centerline of the vehicle, or component in questionrelative to its orientation within a vehicle.

In addition, the terms “preferred,” “preferably,” or “in particular,”“for example” or similar terms are used in association with optionalfeatures without thereby restricting alternative embodiments. Thus,features which are introduced by these terms are optional features, andthere is no intention to restrict the scope of protection of the claimsand, in particular, the independent claims by means of these features.Thus, as a person skilled in the art will recognize, the invention canalso be implemented using different embodiments. In a similar way,features which are introduced by “in one embodiment of the invention” orby “in one illustrative embodiment of the invention” are understood tobe optional features without any intention thereby to restrictalternative embodiments or the scope of protection of the independentclaims. Moreover, these introductory expressions are not intended toaffect all the ways of combining the features introduced thereby withother features, whether optional or non-optional features.

Pickup Truck Rear Configuration Overview

Referring now to FIG. 1, shown is a vehicle or pickup truck 20 having acab 22 and a cargo bed 24 situated rearward therefrom. The cargo bed 24comprises a floor 26, an upstanding forward wall 28 immediately adjacentand rearward of the cab 22, and two upstanding opposing sidewallsections 30 a, 30 b. Opposite to the forward wall 28 towards the rear ofthe cargo bed 24 is situated a tailgate 32. The tailgate 32 is providedwith a hinge assembly (not shown) permitting the tailgate 32 to pivotfrom a generally vertical/upright closed position, to a generallyhorizontal open position as required by the operator. As shown in FIG.1, the tailgate 32 is in the open position. The forward wall 28 and thetwo opposing sidewall sections 30 a, 30 b define an upper wall surfacethat is generally planar. The upper wall surface is collectivelyregarded as the bed rail 34.

Tonneau Cover—One Panel

With reference now to FIGS. 2a and 2b , a tonneau cover 36 is shownmounted on the cargo bed 24 of the pickup truck 20. As generally knownin the art, the tonneau cover 36 serves to cover the area of the cargobed 24, while being operable (i.e. openable) to permit for access whennecessary. In FIG. 2a , the tonneau cover 36 is shown in a closedposition, wherein the tonneau cover 36 fully covers the entirety of thecargo bed 24. In this closed position, the tonneau cover 36 prevents theingress of water and/or debris into the area of the cargo bed 24, whilepreventing the accidental loss and/or theft of cargo/materials from thecargo bed 24 during use.

In accordance with embodiments hereof, tonneau covers may have the formof a single panel or as an assembly of two or more operably connectedpanels. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2b , the tonneau cover 36 is asingle panel configuration, and includes a primary body portion 38having a top surface 40, an opposing bottom surface 42 and an outerperiphery 44. The outer periphery 44 may be further regarded asincluding a forward periphery 44 a, a rearward periphery 44 b, andopposing side peripheries 44 c, 44 d. The tonneau cover 36 is operablycoupled to the cargo bed 24 to permit the tonneau cover to be opened andclosed as required by the user. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2b , thetonneau cover 36 is configured for hinged connection between the forwardperiphery 44 a or a surface proximal thereto, and the forward wall 28 ofthe cargo bed 24. Accordingly, the tonneau cover 36 may be opened to asecond position as shown in FIG. 2b . Maintaining the tonneau cover 36in the open position, or at any intermediate position therebetween maybe facilitated through the use of a suitable support mechanism,including but not limited to lid supports, lid stays and gas struts. Asshown in FIG. 2b , the single panel tonneau cover 36 incorporates a pairof gas struts 46 to support the tonneau cover 36 in the open position.

Panel Construction

With reference to FIG. 3, shown is a partial sectional view of theprimary body portion 38. The primary body portion 38 is an integratedconstruction formed as a composite layered panel, generally regarded asa sandwich panel 48. The sandwich panel 48 includes a structural core 50bounded on a top surface 52 by a first layered section 54, and on abottom surface 56 by a second layered section 58.

Structural Core—Honeycomb

The structural core 50 is a honeycomb structure, having cells 60 thatare generally hexagonal in cross-sectional shape. The cells 60 arealigned to extend transversely relative to the sandwich panel 48, thatis across the thickness of the structural core 50. In one exemplaryembodiment, the honeycomb structure may be formed from Kraft paper suchas Axxor Core Honeycomb (Axxion Group, NL). While Kraft paper honeycombstructures may be used uncoated, in certain implementations the papermay be coated/impregnated with a resin material to provide enhancedperformance with respect to structural characteristics and/or resistanceto the elements (i.e. moisture). Suitable coatings may include, but arenot limited to polyimide, polyamide, and phenolic resins.

The cell size, cell wall thickness, core thickness, paper areal density(grammage) and the expanded core areal density of the structural core 50are chosen to meet the desired mechanical requirements for strength anddurability. The cell size of the structural core 50 is typically betweenabout 4 mm to about 12 mm, and preferably between about 6 mm to about 10mm. In one exemplary construction detailed below (see Example 1), thecell size for the structural core 50 is about 8 mm. The cell wallthickness is typically between about 0.14 mm to about 0.18 mm, andpreferably between about 0.15 mm to about 0.17 mm. In the exemplaryconstruction detailed below (see Example 1), the cell wall thickness forthe structural core 50 is about 0.16 mm. The core thickness of thestructural core 50 is typically between about 10 mm to about 50 mm, andpreferably between about 20 mm to about 40 mm. In the exemplaryconstruction detailed below (see Example 1), the core thickness for thestructural core 50 is about 30 mm. The paper areal density is typicallybetween about 80 gsm to about 150 gsm, and preferably between about 100gsm to about 145 gsm. In the exemplary construction detailed below (seeExample 1), the paper areal density for the structural core 50 is about142 gsm. The expanded core areal density is typically between about 700gsm to about 1800 gsm, and preferably between about 900 to about 1700gsm. In the exemplary construction detailed below (see Example 1), theexpanded core areal density for the structural core 50 is about 1696gsm.

While the exemplary embodiment described herein incorporates a honeycombstructural core formed of Kraft paper, the structural core 50 may becomprised of other core materials including, but not limited to balsawood, thermoplastic, open and closed cell thermoplastic structuralfoams, and syntactic foams. Other types of honeycomb structures may alsobe suitable, for example honeycomb structures formed from inorganicpaper, thermoplastic fiber paper, as well as metals (i.e. aluminum). Inaddition, while the cells forming the structural core 50 may have ahexagonal cross-sectional shape, the cells may be formed in a variety ofother cross-sectional geometric configurations, including but notlimited to triangles, squares and diamond-shape.

In some embodiments, particularly where there is a higher risk of waterintrusion, the honeycomb structural core is preferably selected from amaterial less susceptible to water/moisture damage. These materialsinclude, but are not limited to aluminum, foam expanded polypropylene(EPP), expanded polystyrene (EPS), and plastic honeycomb structures. Aparticularly preferred material for use in high moisture conditions isaluminum. Exemplary thicknesses and corresponding cell dimensions andstructural properties for the structural core formed from Aluminum arefound in the table below.

Aluminum Honeycomb

Compressive Longitudinal Trnasverse Thickness Foil Thickness Cell lengthCell size Density Strength Stress Strength Stress Strength mm mm mm mmg/m2 Mpa Mpa Mpa 21 0.04 4.0  6.9  966 0.66 0.19 0.37 5.0  8.7  777 0.530.14 0.27 6.0 10.4  651 0.40 0.11 0.22 7.5 13.0  525 0.32 0.08 0.13 0.054.0  6.9 1197 0.82 0.19 0.37 5.0  8.7  945 0.64 0.14 0.27 6.0 10.4  7980.49 0.11 0.22 7.5 13.0  630 0.38 0.08 0.13 0.06 4.0  6.9 1365 0.93 0.190.37 5.0  8.7 1092 0.74 0.14 0.27 6.0 10.4  924 0.57 0.11 0.22 7.5 13.0 735 0.45 0.08 0.13Layered Section—General

The first and second layered sections 54, 58 cover the structural core50, to impart strength, i.e. when placed under tension, as well as toprevent exposure to the elements (i.e. moisture, UV, etc.) and/or damagefrom use. More specifically, the first layered section 54 is coupled tothe top surface 52 of the structural core 50, while the second layeredsection 58 is coupled to the bottom surface 56 of the structural core50. Each of the first and second layered sections 54, 58 includes areinforcement layer 62 and a coating layer 64. The reinforcement layer62 is directly applied to the respective top and bottom surfaces 52, 56of the structural core 50.

Layered Section—Reinforcement Layer (rCF)

In the exemplary embodiment presented herein, the reinforcement layer 62is a carbon fiber mat. The carbon fiber mat may be woven, or nonwoven,and may be selected from virgin carbon fiber, recycled (also known asreclaimed) carbon fiber, or a combination of each. The carbon fiber matmay be intermingled with at least one type of thermoplastic or thermosetfiber and may be consolidated (i.e. compressed under elevatedtemperature). For example, the nonwoven mat may additionally include anacrylic fiber, a polyamide fiber (i.e. a nylon, for example nylon 6), acellulous fiber, a thermoplastic fiber (i.e. polypropylene), a naturalfiber, or a combination thereof. Other additives to the mat may includethermoplastic or thermoset binders (i.e. polyamide binder) or secondaryfiber materials. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the consolidatednonwoven mat can contain:

-   -   a. 60 to 95 weight percent (wt. %) of recycled carbon fiber, and        preferably 70 to 90 wt % of recycled carbon fiber;    -   b. 5 to 40 wt. % of a thermoplastic or thermoset fiber, and        preferably 10 to 30 wt. % of the thermoplastic or thermoset        fiber; and    -   c. 0 to 10 wt. % of binder, and preferably 2 to 5 wt. % of        binder.

The areal density of the consolidated nonwoven carbon fiber mat istypically between about 80 gsm to about 500 gsm, and preferably betweenabout 100 gsm to about 300 gsm. In one exemplary construction detailedbelow (see Example 1), the consolidated nonwoven carbon fiber matexhibits an areal density of about 120 gsm, based on a total matconstruction of 82 wt. % recycled carbon fiber (rCF), 15 wt. %polypropylene fiber, and 3 wt. % binder.

The choice of mat construction, composition and density is chosen tomeet the desired mechanical requirements for strength and durability.For example, in another exemplary construction intended for high-loadapplications, an areal density of about 150 gsm for the consolidatednonwoven carbon fiber mat may be selected. For low-load applications,the consolidated nonwoven carbon fiber mat may exhibit an areal densityof about 120 gsm but with a reduced carbon fiber content, for example atotal mat construction of 61 wt. % rCF, 20 wt. % nylon (i.e. PA6), 16wt. % acrylic or cellulose-based fiber, and 3 wt. % binder. It will beappreciated that the targeted areal density of the consolidated recycledcarbon fiber mat is a combined total of the recycled carbon fiber, thethermoplastic or thermoset fiber and the binder, and that the targetedareal density may be achieved through a range of component ratios.Stated differently, the proportion of the components, in particular theratio of rCF to thermoplastic or thermoset fiber may be varied dependingon the desired mechanical requirements, and the targeted areal density.

Layered Section—Coating Layer (Polyurethane)

The coating layer 64 of the first and second layered sections 54, 58 maybe a thermoset resin, or a thermoplastic resin. When the coating layer64 is a thermoset resin, the resin may be an epoxy, a vinyl ester, aphenolic, a polyester, a polyimide or a polyurethane. When the coatinglayer 64 is a thermoplastic resin, the resin may be a polycarbonate, apolyetherimide, a polyetherketone, a polysulfone, a polyester, apoly(arylene sulfide), a polyamide or a polyphenylene oxide resin. Inthe exemplary embodiment presented herein, the coating layer 64 is athermoset resin, in particular an unfoamed polyurethane. Exemplarypolyurethanes suitable for use in this application include, but are notlimited to, ELASTOFLEX 28670R Resin/ELASTOFLEX 28670T Isocyanate andELASTOFLEX 28680R Resin/ELASTOFLEX 28680T Isocyanate (BASF SE,Ludwigshafen, Germany). The application of the polyurethane upon thereinforcement layer 64 is typically between about 200 gsm to about 700gsm, and preferably between about 300 to about 600 gsm. In one exemplaryconstruction detailed below (see Example 1), the application of thepolyurethane upon the reinforcement layer is about 450 gsm.

As polyurethane is applied to the reinforcement layer applied to eachside of the structural core 50, the total polyurethane applied is about900 gsm. It will be appreciated that the areal density selected forapplication to the reinforcement layer 64 will depend on a variety oftargeted performance and/or aesthetic criteria, including but notlimited to impact resistance, UV resistance, weathering resistance,texture definition, etc. A reduced amount of polyurethane may beapplied, for example less than about 300 gsm where the resultant coatinglayer 64 is to be covered by a separately formed surface layer (asdiscussed in greater detail below).

The sandwich panel 48 may additionally comprise a surface layer 66. Thesurface layer 66 may be a film or may be vacuum formed or thermoformed.The surface layer 66 may be made from a colored or transparentthermoplastic resin material. The surface layer 66 may be formed frommaterials including, but not limited to polypropylene, thermoplasticpolyolefin, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate-ABS.The surface layer 66 may be applied to one or both sides of the sandwichpanel 48. For example, in one embodiment, the surface layer 66 isapplied to an upper surface of the sandwich panel 48, in particular atop surface 68 of the first layered section 54 (as shown in FIG. 3). Inanother embodiment, the surface layer 66 is applied to both the upperand lower surfaces of the sandwich panel 48 (as shown in the processillustrations of FIGS. 4a to 4d ). The surface layer 66 may beconfigured to have an A-Class finish and/or may be further finished(i.e. painted) as per any aesthetic requirements established for thetonneau cover 36. In some embodiments, the surface layer 66 is selectedto enhance UV resistance, weatherability, and durability. For example,the surface layer 66 may be a typical truck bed spray coating, such asBASF ELASTOCAST. The surface layer 66 may be a single or multi-layerapplication of spray materials. The application of the spray coating maybe between about 200 gsm to about 600 gsm and has a hardness of shore A70-90. In one exemplary construction detailed below, the application ofthe spray coating is about 350 gsm.

It will be appreciated that variations and modifications to theexemplary embodiments presented above are possible, in particular wherecertain applications have specific mechanical requirements for strengthand durability. While the reinforcement layer 62 applied to each side ofthe structural core 50 may be the same (see Example 1), for certainapplications the reinforcement layer 26 applied to each side may bedifferent. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the second layeredsection 58 applied to the bottom surface 56 of the structural core 50may include a reinforcement layer having a higher areal density comparedto the reinforcement layer applied to the top surface 52 of thestructural core 50, to impart additional strength for top-side loads. Inanother alternative embodiment, a sandwich panel may include a firstlayered section (top-surface) reinforcement layer of about 95 gsm, whilethe second layered section (bottom-surface) reinforcement layer is about120 gsm.

In other embodiments, the reinforcement layers 62 applied to thestructural core 50 may be of differing composition. The compositionselected may be based on a range of criteria, including specificmechanical requirements, and the availability/pricing of materials. Forexample, the top surface 52 of the structural core 50 may receive areinforcement layer based on glass fiber, while the bottom surface 56 ofthe structural core 50 receives a reinforcement layer based on carbonfiber. In one exemplary embodiment, the top surface 52 of the structuralcore 50 receives a fiberglass-based reinforcement layer of about 450gsm, while the bottom surface 56 of the structural core 50 receives acarbon fiber-based reinforcement layer of about 100 gsm.

In other variations of the sandwich panel, additional layers may beincluded on one or both sides. The additional layers may be selected toconfer specific performance attributes, such as resistance to UV, orother environmental factors.

In some embodiments, the coating layer 64 being added to each side ofthe structural core 50 may be formulated differently or applied to adifferent areal density. For example, the coating layer 64 forming partof the first layered section 54 may contain additive(s) to enhance UVresistance, while the coating layer 64 forming part of the secondlayered section 58 may contain additives to enhance the strengthperformance of the panel.

Manufacture of the Sandwich Panel

A process for manufacturing the sandwich panel 48 will now be providedhaving regard to FIGS. 4a to 4d . In a first step (see FIG. 4a ), themethod comprises preforming a layup 80 consisting of the structural core50 and the first and second reinforcement layers 62 a, 62 b. Preformingrefers to the cutting of the structural core 50 and the first and secondreinforcement layers 62 a, 62 b to the required dimensions, inaccordance with the design of the desired tonneau cover section. Withthe structural core 50 and the first and second reinforcement layers 62a, 62 b cut to size (which may be over-sized, and later pinch trimmed ina post-mold operation or post-trimmed following removal from the mold),the reinforcement layers 62 a, 62 b are aligned and placed upon thestructural core 50. The coating layer (resin) 64 a, 64 b is then applied(i.e. sprayed) to the first and second reinforcement layers 62 a, 62 bbased on a selected application amount, or in some embodiments until thereinforcement layers 62 a, 62 b are sufficiently wetted. The applicationof the coating layer 64 a, 64 b serves to adhere the reinforcementlayers 62 a, 62 b to the structural core 50. In some embodiments, anadditional spray or film adhesive may be used between the structuralcore 50 and one or both of the reinforcement layers 62 a, 62 b.

Thereafter, the uncured layup 80 is placed in a mold tool 300 (see FIG.4b ). As shown, the mold tool 300 for forming the sandwich panel 48comprises two mold halves, namely a first mold half 302 and a secondmold half 304, which together in closed configuration define a moldcavity 306 for compression molding the sandwich panel 48.

In addition to the layup 80, the mold tool 300 may also receiveadditional layers to be incorporated into the sandwich panel. In theembodiment shown, the layup 80 receives the first surface layer 66 a ona layup top-surface 82, and the second surface layer 66 b on a layupbottom-surface 84 thereof. The first and second surface layers 66 a, 66b are retained in position on respective mold halves 302, 304 usingvacuum, as generally known in the art. At this step, the mold tool 300may also receive other in-molded features, for example anchor inserts 86intended to provide secure attachment points for functional hardware,including but not limited to hinges, latches, standoff towers, etc. Theanchor inserts 86 are held in position at designated mounting points. Toaccommodate the anchor inserts 86, the surface layer(s) 66 a, 66 b mayrequire trimming, in particular where the inserts 86 are at leastpartially exposed on the exterior of the final compression moldedproduct.

Prior to their placement in the mold tool 300, the first and secondsurface layers 66 a, 66 b may be heated to a temperature which is atleast above the softening temperature of the thermoplastic material. Insome embodiments of the process, the first and second surface layers 66qa, 66 b may also be preformed prior to be placed into the mold.

With the layup 80, the first and second surface layers 66 a, 66 b andinserts 86 (if any) situated in the mold tool 300, the mold tool 300 isclosed to compression mold and form the sandwich panel 48 (see FIG. 4c). With the reinforcement layers 62 a, 62 b on both sides of the layup80 being wetted and yet uncured, upon closure of the mold tool 300, thecontact between the uncured resin and the first and second surfacelayers 66 a, 66 b serves to effect molding, consolidation and bonding ofall layers contained therein into the final sandwich panel 48. In thedescribed embodiment, the molding is done in about 60 seconds and theapplied molding pressure is about 15 bar. However, some constructionsmay have mold closure times of between about 30 seconds to about 90seconds and applied molding pressures of between about 10 bar to about20 bar. The mold tool is heated, typically to around 180-250° F.

When the compression molding has finished, the mold tool 300 is opened,and the sandwich panel 48 is removed from the mold tool 300 (see FIG. 4d). Before the sandwich panel 48 can proceed to further processing intothe desired tonneau cover, the outer periphery 44 of the sandwich panelis trimmed, and possible burrs and the like are removed. Alternatively,the mold tool 300 may be constructed to pinch-trim the formed sandwichpanel 48, therein reducing the number of post-mold trimming operations.

Exemplary Construction

With reference to FIG. 3 and having regard to the preceding discussionon the composition and construction of the sandwich panel 48, there isno intention to restrict the various components, in particular thestated quantified parameters (i.e. areal density) to the ranges noted.The sandwich panel 48 and tonneau cover 36 incorporating the sandwichpanel construction may include reinforcement layers, in particular thecarbon fiber mat, and polyurethane resin that exhibit areal densitiesthat are either above or below the exemplary ranges specified.

In addition, any numerical ranges recited herein include all values fromthe lower value to the upper value in increments of one unit providedthat there is a separation of at least two units between any lower valueand any higher value. As an example, if it is stated that theconcentration or amount of a component or value of a process variableis, for example, typically between about 1 to about 90, and preferablybetween about 30 to about 70, it is intended that values such as 15 to85, 22 to 68, 43 to 51, 30 to 32, etc. are expressly enumerated in thisspecification. For values that are less than one, one unit is consideredto be 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01 or 0.1 as appropriate. These are only examplesof what is specifically intended and all possible combinations ofnumerical values between the lowest value and the highest valueenumerated are to be considered to be expressly stated in thisapplication in a similar manner.

Accordingly, the panel construction noted below is merely exemplary, buthas been found to be a useful construction for general use in thetonneau cover 36.

Composition EXAMPLE 1 Structural Core 50 cell size: 8 mm (kraft paper;Axxor Core cell wall thickness: 0.16 mm honeycomb) core thickness: 30 mmpaper density: 142 gsm expanded core density: 1696 gsm Reinforcementlayer 62 82 wt % rCF (consolidated non-woven 15 wt % polypropylene fiberrecycled carbon fiber;  3 wt % binder one layer applied per total arealdensity: 120 gsm side of structural core) Resin 64 unfoamed polyurethane(i.e. ELASTOFLEX 28670R Resin/ ELASTOFLEX 28670T Isocyanate andELASTOFLEX 28680R Resin/ ELASTOFLEX 28680T Isocyanate 450 gsm (per side)

Referring now to Tables 1, 2 and 3, presented is comparative data forsandwich panels 48 formed of both rCF and glass fiber. Table 1 isdirected to constructions based on a structural core 50 having athickness of 20 mm; Table 2 is directed to constructions based on astructural core 50 having a thickness of 15 mm; and Table 3 is directedto constructions based on a structural core 50 having a thickness of 10mm. The data is based on a 4-point bend test (ASTM D7249/D7249M) withvarious construction specimens (600 mm×75 mm; 0.045 m²) and determiningmaximum load (N) and deflection (mm; at maximum load) performance.Comparisons are made between rCF and GF constructions at approximatelyequivalent maximum load values, where a % weight savings and % decreasein deflection are noted for the rCF construction.

TABLE 1 Comparative Data - GF-rCF Equivalence for Structural CoreThickness = 20 mm GF-RCF Equivalents Table - Structural Core Thickness =20 mm Reinforce- Max rCF % Weight rCF % Decrease Reinforce- ment LayerResin Total Load Deflec- Savings in Deflection Structural ment 62Applied 64 [PU Weight Max tion (at equiv (at equiv Specimen Core 50Layer 62 (gsm) (gsm)] (g/m^(∧)2) (N) (mm) Load Max) Load Max)20-10-29-300GF core thickness: 20 mm GF 300 300 1977.8 300.15 22.820-10-29-450GF cell size: 10 mm GF 450 450 2577.8 446.37 21.3520-10-29-600GF paper density: GF 600 600 3177.8 559.24 20 142 gsm20-10-29-300GF_RCF Equ cell wall thickness: rCF 150 340 1757.8 300.8813.98 11.1 38.7 0.16 mm 20-10-29-450GF_RCF Equ expanded core density:rCF 231 340 1919.8 442.84 12.9 25.5 39.6 20-10-29-600GF_RCF Equ 777.8gsm rCF 285 340 2027.8 563.76 14.62 36.2 26.9

TABLE 2 Comparative Data - GF-rCF Equivalence for Structural CoreThickness = 15 mm GF-RCF Equivalents Table - Structural Core Thickness =15 mm Reinforce- Max rCF % Weight rCF % Decrease Reinforce- ment LayerResin Total Load Deflec- Savings in Deflection ment 62 Applied 64 [PUWeight Max tion (at equiv (at equiv Specimen Structural Core 50 Layer 62(gsm) (gsm)] (g/m^(∧)2) (N) (mm) Load Max) Load Max) 15-10-29-300GF corethickness: 15 mm GF 300 300 1777.8 194.32 23.36 15-10-29-450GF cellsize: 10 mm GF 450 450 2377.8 331.97 28.41 15-10-29-600GF paper density:142 gsm GF 600 600 2977.8 423.26 29.89 15-10-29-300GF_RCF Equ cell wallthickness: rCF 138 340 1533.8 195.06 15.83 13.7 32.2 0.16 mm15-10-29-450GF_RCF Equ expanded core density: rCF 254 340 1765.8 330.4715.95 25.7 43.9 15-10-29-600GF_RCF Equ 577.8 gsm rCF 303 340 1863.8422.8 17.52 37.4 41.4 15-8-29-300GF core thickness: 15 mm GF 300 3002022.2 215.05 26.44 15-8-29-450GF cell size: 8 mm GF 450 450 2622.2367.59 29.06 15-8-29-600GF paper density: 142 gsm GF 600 600 3222.2492.44 29.69 15-8-29-300GF_RCF Equ cell wall thickness: rCF 140 3401782.2 211.18 17.32 11.9 34.5 0.16 mm 15-8-29-450GF_RCF Equ expandedcore density: rCF 233 340 1968.2 370.01 18.05 24.9 37.915-8-29-600GF_RCF Equ 822.2 gsm rCF 299 340 2100.2 492.31 20.15 34.832.1

TABLE 3 Comparative Data - GF-rCF Equivalence for Structural CoreThickness = 10 mm GF-RCF Equivalents Table - Structural Core Thickness =10 mm Reinforce- Max rCF % Weight rCF % Decrease Reinforce- ment LayerResin Total Load Deflec- Savings in Deflection ment 62 Applied 64 [PuWeight Max tion (at equiv (at equiv Specimen Structural Core 50 Layer 62(gsm) (gsm)] (g/m^(∧)2) (N) (mm) Load Max) Load Max) 10-10-29-300GF corethickness: 10 mm GF 300 300 1577.8 138.16 36.73 10-10-29-450GF cellsize: 10 mm GF 450 450 2177.8 233.75 41.43 10-10-29-600GF paper density:142 gsm GF 600 600 2777.8 325.67 42.1 10-10-29-300GF_RCF Equ cell wallthickness: rCF 140 340 1337.8 137.3 23.51 15.2 36.0 0.16 mm10-10-29-450GF_RCF Equ expanded core density: rCF 245 340 1547.8 233.4123.08 28.9 44.3 10-10-29-600GF_RCF Equ 377.8 gsm rCF 340 340 1737.8328.15 25.19 37.4 40.2 10-8-29-300GF core thickness: 10 mm GF 300 3001755.6 162.54 40.19 10-8-29-450GF cell size: 8 mm GF 450 450 2355.6245.12 41.55 10-8-29-600GF paper density: 142 gsm GF 600 600 2955.6347.16 44.89 10-8-29-300GF_RCF Equ cell wall thickness: rCF 150 3401535.6 158.94 22.65 12.5 43.6 0.16 mm 10-8-29-450GF_RCF Equ expandedcore density: rCF 220 340 1675.6 249.05 27.32 28.9 34.210-8-29-600GF_RCF Equ 555.6 gsm rCF 315 340 1865.6 349.16 28.56 36.936.4The performance advantage of using rCF versus glass fiber is clearlydemonstrated in the above tables, where for a given Load Max value,there is an observed weight savings in the rCF construct compared to theglass fiber construct. With the specific constructions noted, thepercent weight savings in the rCF construction ranges from about 11% toabout 37%. Also noteworthy is the improved deflection performance, whereat a given the Load Max value, there is a decreased deflection in therCF construction compared to the glass fiber construct. With thespecific constructions noted, the percent decrease in deflection in therCF construction ranges from about 26% to about 44%.Edge Trim

Referring now to FIG. 5, the tonneau cover 36 includes an edge trim 110to cover at least a portion of the outer periphery 44. The edge trim 110may be configured in a variety of ways, and may provide a variety ofattributes, including but not limited to structural attributes,functional attributes, aesthetic attributes, or combinations of these.The edge trim 110 protects the honeycomb core 50 from external moistureand debris, and further protects the outer periphery 44 from damage(i.e. due to impact). The edge trim 110 may also form the interfacebetween the tonneau cover 36 and the bed rail 34 of the cargo bed 24,and additionally may include functional features for closure/locking thetonneau cover 36 in the closed position. Accordingly, the edge trim 110may be configured in a variety of ways, depending on a range of factors,and the cargo bed 24 upon which the tonneau cover 36 is installed.

With reference to FIG. 5, the edge trim 110 includes a C-shaped channel112 having an upper flange 114 and a lower flange 116. The upper andlower flanges 114, 116 fit upon respective upper and lower margins 118,120 of the tonneau cover 36, adjacent the outer periphery 44. At leastone of the upper and lower margins 118, 120 may optionally provide acutout 122 to at least partially recess the upper and lower flanges 114,116 into the sandwich panel 48 of the tonneau cover 36, to provide agenerally planar appearance at the point of attachment. In anembodiment, the cutout 122 is tapered for ease of installation of theextrusion. The edge trim 110 additionally includes a curved portion 124that extends outwardly and arcs downwardly over the bed rail 34 of thepickup truck cargo bed 24.

The edge trim 110 supports a rail seal 126. The rail seal 126 isconfigured to position between the edge trim 110 and the bed rail 34around the periphery of the tonneau cover 36, to prevent the ingress ofwater and debris into the cargo bed 24. The rail seal 126 is attached tothe edge trim 110 using suitable fasteners. The rail seal 126 is shownbeing attached to the edge trim 110 using one or more Christmastree-type fasteners 128, as typically used in the automotive industry.The fasteners 128 are received in apertures 130, provided in the edgetrim 110. The rail seal 126 is formed of a rubber or similar materialhaving the required pliability to form a sufficient seal against the bedrail 34. While the rail seal 126 is shown in the form of a bulb seal, itwill be appreciated that seals having other cross-sectionals profilesmay be implemented.

In some embodiments, an additional foam seal 132 may be added betweenthe edge trim 110 and the outer periphery 44 of the of the sandwichpanel 48 forming the tonneau cover 36. The foam seal 132 is used foradded protection and/or resistance to possible wicking of moisture bythe paper core at the pinch point, that is the region along the outerperiphery 44 where each of the upper and lower layers (i.e. thereinforcement layer and the coating layer) meet.

The attachment between the edge trim 110 and the sandwich panel 48 isachieved through the use of a suitable adhesive, including but notlimited to two-component polyurethane (2K-PU) adhesives or apressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape. In addition to bonding the edgetrim 110 to the outer periphery 44, the adhesive may also serve as asealant to prevent water and/or debris from contaminating the pinchpoint. As an alternative or in addition to adhesive, the attachmentbetween the edge trim 110 and the sandwich panel 48 may be furthersecured through the use of fasteners. In the embodiment shown, athreaded fastener 134 is used to secure the edge trim 110 to thesandwich panel 48. In will be appreciated that the manner by which theedge trim is fixedly attached to the sandwich panel will take on avariety of forms. In some embodiments, the attachment between the edgetrim and the sandwich panel may be achieved solely through the use ofadhesive or solely through the use of threaded fasteners, or acombination of adhesive and threaded fasteners.

With reference to FIG. 6, an alternative edge trim 210 is shown. Thisembodiment is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, with theexception that the upper and lower flanges 114, 116 include a tab 212that cooperates with a corresponding groove 214 on the respective upperand lower margins 118, 120. The tab 212 and groove 214 arrangementprovides a mechanical attachment of the edge trim 110 to the outerperiphery 44, in addition to the use of adhesives and/or fasteners.Further, when the edge trim 210 is formed from a thermoplastic material,the tab 212 will flex during installation.

While any thermoplastic which is extrudable and/or moldable may be usedfor the edge trim 110, the selected thermoplastic must have thecharacteristics to be acceptable in the range of heat and cold thatmight be expected of a tonneau cover which is left outside on a winternight, or subject to direct sun, heat loading in the summer. Anexemplary material for this application would be ABS polymer orco-polymers thereof. In another embodiment, the edge trim 110 isaluminum and formed via extrusion or bonded to the sandwich panel 48 viaan adhesive.

While the outer periphery of the sandwich panel has been shown toinclude an edge trim 110, in some embodiments the construction of thesandwich panel may not necessitate the use of an edge trim as shown. Forexample, in some embodiments the outer periphery may be finished with aside rail, for example one constructed of aluminum. The aluminum siderail could be fixedly attached to the outer periphery using a suitableadhesive (i.e. 2K PU), suitable fasteners (i.e. threaded fasteners), ofa combination thereof.

Insert Molded Anchor Insert

To facilitate the attachment of fixtures, for example latching hardware,a separately formed anchor insert is provided in the sandwich panel, theanchor insert being configured to include and/or receive one or morefasteners for attaching the fixture thereto. With reference to FIG. 7,shown is an anchor insert 86. The anchor insert 86 is configured to beinsert molded into the sandwich panel 48. The anchor insert 86 includesa primary body 220 having a first flange 222 and a second flange 224separated by a circumferential groove 226. In the embodiment shown, theprimary body 220, in particular the first and second flanges 222, 224are generally rectangular with rounded corners, with the first flange222 being dimensionally larger in both width and length compared to thesecond flange 224. The first flange 222 includes an exterior-sidesurface 228 which aligns generally flush to a surface 230 of thesandwich panel 48. The second flange 224 is regarded as the interiorflange, as it positions within the sandwich panel 48 upon beinginsertion molded. The circumferential groove 226 provides a recess toreceive resin during the molding operation, to thereby mechanically lockthe anchor insert 86 in position within the sandwich panel 48. In theembodiment shown, the anchor insert 86 includes two threaded fasteners232 that extend outwardly and beyond the surface 230 of the sandwichpanel 48, to permit for attachment of fixtures. In some embodiments, theanchor insert 86 may be located within a recess 234 of the sandwichpanel 48.

The anchor insert 86 is injection molded and may be formed from a rangeof materials including, but not limited to, polypropylene, thermoplasticpolyolefins (TPO), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polycarbonate(PC), polybutadiene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate(PET), nylon, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene(PPE), and blends of the above materials with other suitable materials(e.g. fillers including, but not limited to glass fibres, talc, etc.).In one particular embodiment, the anchor insert 86 is constructed usingABS.

The anchor insert 86 may also be formed of metallic or non-metallicmaterials. Suitable metallic materials may include metal alloys, whilenon-metallic materials may include polymers and polymer-based composites(with or without material additives such as glass-fiber, carbon fiber,etc.), as well as glass-filled component technologies.

Continuing with FIG. 7, the threaded fasteners 232 are inserted throughapertures 236 provided on the primary body 220 of the anchor insert 86.The threaded fasteners 232 are either separately bonded to the primarybody 220, or through the insert-molding operation, the threadedfasteners 232 are fixed and locked in the position shown. The threadedfasteners are of metallic construction (i.e. steel, stainless steel,specialty metals, etc.) and include a thread that cooperates with amating female fastener (not shown) to secure the fixture in place. Itwill be appreciated that while the anchor insert is shown as having malethreaded fasteners, in some embodiments the anchor insert may beconfigured to have female threaded fasteners.

While the anchor insert 86 is shown as a generally rectangular elongatestructure with rounded corners, the anchor insert may be shaped in avariety of configurations, depending on the intended installation andmechanical requirements for the insert. For example, in an alternativeembodiment, the primary body of the anchor insert may be formed in agenerally squared configuration. In still further alternativeembodiments, the anchor insert may be formed in a generally roundconfiguration.

Tonneau Cover Alternatives—Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover

The sandwich panel construction, in particular the sandwich panel 48based on the honeycomb core 50 and recycled carbon fiber has beendiscussed above with respect to a tonneau cover having a single panelconfiguration. The mechanical advantages with respect to strength anddurability achievable with this type of sandwich panel construction maybe applied to other tonneau cover systems, including those having 2, 3or more operably connected panels. For example, as shown in FIGS. 8a to8c , the sandwich panel 48 may be incorporated into a tonneau cover 250having three panels, namely a rear panel 252, an intermediate panel 254,and a forward panel 256. When installed on the cargo bed 24 of a pickuptruck, the rear panel 252 positions closest to the tailgate 32; theforward panel 256 positions closest to the cab 22, and the intermediatepanel 254 positions between the rear and forward panels 252, 256 asshown.

In this configuration, the tonneau cover 250 is foldable, to permit auser access to the cargo bed 24 as required. While a variety of foldingconfigurations are known in the art, the tonneau cover 250 as presentedin FIGS. 8a-8c is configured to be ‘roll’ folded from the closedposition (as shown in FIG. 8a ), to an intermediate partially openposition (as shown in FIG. 8b ), and finally to an open position (asshown in FIG. 8c ). The ‘roll’ folding action of the tonneau cover 250,denoted by arrows A and B in FIGS. 8a and 8b rotates the rear panel 252and the combined rear and intermediate panels 252, 254 of the tonneaucover 250 forwardly towards the cab 22, therein enabling access to therear area of the cargo bed 24.

To permit the tonneau cover 250 to be ‘roll’ folded as shown, a firsthinge assembly 258 is provided between the rear and intermediate panels252, 254, and a second hinge assembly 260 is provided between theintermediate and forward panels 254, 256. A variety of hinge assembliesmay be used to achieve a ‘roll’ folding action, including but notlimited to bendable/compliant hinges (i.e. living hinges formed as anintegral part of the panels) and double acting hinges.

Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover—Second Embodiment

Another embodiment of a tri-fold tonneau cover will now be describedwith respect to FIGS. 9a -30. Referring now to FIG. 9a , shown is thevehicle or pickup truck 20 having a tonneau cover assembly 936 mountedupon the cargo bed 24. The tonneau cover assembly 936 includes atri-fold tonneau cover 938 and a surrounding rail system 940. Thetri-fold tonneau cover 938 includes a first panel 942, a second panel944, and a third panel 946. Each of the panels are generally planarstructures and may be constructed in a variety of ways. A preferredconstruction will be described in greater detail below.

In the closed configuration (as shown in FIGS. 9a and 9b ), the firstpanel 942 is arranged to be situated towards the rear of the cargo bed24, and the third panel 946 is arranged to be situated towards the frontof the cargo bed 24. The second panel 944 is an intermediate panel,arranged between the first and third panels 942, 946. The tri-foldarrangement for the tonneau cover 938 permits for ease of operation(i.e. opening/closing) of the tonneau cover 938 when access/closure tothe cargo bed 24 is necessary. In general, a first step in opening thetri-fold tonneau cover 938 is to rotate the first panel 942 from aclosed position (as shown in FIGS. 9a and 9b ), to a first openedposition (as shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b ). A second step in opening thetri-fold tonneau cover 938 is to rotate the collected arrangement of thefirst and second panels 942, 944 from the first opened position (asshown in FIGS. 10a and 10b ), to a second opened position (as shown inFIGS. 11a and 11b ). The tri-fold tonneau cover 938 may be furtheropened during a third step where the collected arrangement of the first,second and third panels 942, 944, 946 are rotated from the second openedposition (as shown in FIGS. 11a and 11b ) to a third opened position (asshown in FIGS. 12a and 12b ). Additional details on the mechanismspermitting the operation of the tonneau cover 938 will be described ingreater detail below.

The rail system 940, as shown in FIG. 13a , serves to facilitate themounting of the tonneau cover 938 to the cargo bed 24. The rail system940 includes a first side rail 948, a second side rail 950, a tailgaterail 952, and a mount rail 954. Collectively the rail system 940 ismounted upon an upper wall surface 33 of the cargo bed 24 (i.e. the bedrail 34). Specifically, the first side rail 948 is mounted upon the bedrail 34 of a first of the side-wall sections (i.e. side wall section 30a), the second side rail 950 is mounted upon the bed rail 34 of a secondof the side-wall sections (i.e. side wall section 30 b), the tailgaterail 952 is mounted upon the bed rail 34 of the tailgate 32, and themount rail 954 is mounted upon the bed rail 34 of the forward wall 28.As will be described in greater detail below, in addition tofacilitating the mounting of the tonneau cover 938 to the cargo bed 24,the rail system 940 cooperates with the tonneau cover 938 in a mannerthat serves to prevent the ingress of water and debris into the cargobed 24.

Returning to the tonneau cover 938, each of the first panel 942, thesecond panel 944, and the third panel 946 can be defined as having arearward edge, a forward edge, and a pair of opposing side edges.Accordingly, with reference to FIG. 13b , the first panel (p1) 942includes a p1 rearward edge 960, a p1 forward edge 962 and opposing p1side edges 964 a, 964 b; the second panel (p2) 944 includes a p2rearward edge 970, a p2 forward edge 972 and opposing p2 side edges 974a, 974 b; the third panel (p3) 946 includes a p3 rearward edge 980, a p3forward edge 982 and opposing p3 side edges 984 a, 984 b. The firstpanel 942 and the second panel 944 are hingedly connected, where the p1forward edge 962 of the first panel 942 and the p2 rearward edge 970 ofthe second panel 944 are operably connected by a first hinge assembly990. Accordingly, in the process of opening the tonneau cover 938, thefirst panel 942 is permitted to pivot relative to the second panel 944,to the first opened position (as shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b ).Similarly, the second panel 944 and the third panel 946 are hingedlyconnected, where the p2 forward edge 972 of the second panel 944 and thep3 rearward edge 980 of the third panel 946 are operably connected by asecond hinge assembly 992. Accordingly, in the process of opening thetonneau cover 938, the previously folded first and second panels 942,944 are collectively permitted to pivot relative to the third panel 946,to the second opened position (as shown in FIGS. 11a and 11b ).Similarly, the third panel 946 and the mount rail 954 are hingedlyconnected, where the p3 forward edge 982 of the third panel 946 and a p4rearward edge 994 of the mount rail 954 are operably connected by athird hinge assembly 996 (as best seen in FIG. 11b ). Accordingly, inthe process of opening the tonneau cover 938, the previously foldedfirst, second, and third panels 942, 944, 946 are collectively permittedto pivot relative to the mount rail 954, to the third opened position(as shown in FIGS. 12a and 12b ). Specifics on the arrangement of thethird hinge assembly 996 and the mount rail 954 will be described ingreater detail below.

First Hinge Assembly

As stated earlier, the first hinge assembly (h1) 990 serves to hingedlyconnect the first and second panels 942, 944. With reference to FIG. 14,the first hinge assembly 990 includes an h1 hinge 9100, which generallymay be in the form of a piano hinge, although other hinge arrangementsmay be suitably implemented to achieve the desired rotational movement.

As shown, the h1 hinge 9100 includes an h1 central pin 9102 about whichthe leaves of the h1 hinge 9100 pivot. As shown, an h1 first leaf 9104is fastened to the p1 forward edge 962 of the first panel 942, while theh1 second leaf 9106 is fastened to the p2 rearward edge 970 of thesecond panel 944. The h1 first and second leaves 9104, 9106 of the h1hinge 9100 are fastened to the respective panels using an h1 fastener9108. As shown, the h1 fastener 9108 is a threaded fastener, although itwill be appreciated that other fastening means may be possible,including but not limited to the use of rivets. In the embodiment shown,the first hinge assembly 990 additionally includes an h1 seal member9110 positioned between the leaves of the hinge and each respective edgeof the adjacent first and second panels 942, 944. The h1 seal member9110 spans the external surface of the h1 hinge barrel interface 9112interconnecting the h1 first and second leaves 9104, 9106, and isretained in position by virtue of the h1 fasteners 9108 used to attachthe h1 hinge 9100 to the respective first and second panels 942, 944.The h1 seal member 9110 is generally formed of a flexible rubber orpolymeric material. As the exemplary panel construction for the tonneaucover 938 includes an edge frame 9114 affixed to the respective panels,the attachment of the h1 first and second leaves 9104, 9106 to eachrespective first and second panel 942, 944 additionally captures theedge frame 9114 therebetween.

Second Hinge Assembly

The second hinge assembly (h2) 992 serves to hingedly connect the secondand third panels 944, 946. With reference to FIG. 15, the second hingeassembly 992 is similar in construction to the first hinge assembly 990,with the exception that it is configured as a double action hinge, witha spacer panel 9128 positioned between a first h2 hinge 9130 and asecond h2 hinge 9132. The spacer panel 9128 provides a spacing to enablethe tri-fold tonneau cover 938 to be roll-folded, that is where thespacing between the second and third panels 944, 946 is sufficient toaccommodate the first panel 942 in the second opened position, as shownin FIGS. 11a and 11 b.

Each of the first and second h2 hinges 9130, 9132 are generally in theform of a piano hinge, although other hinge arrangements may be suitablyimplemented to achieve the desired rotational movement. Each of thefirst and second h2 hinges 9130, 9132 includes a respective h2 centralpin 9134 a, 9134 b about which the leaves of the respective hinge pivot.With respect to the first h2 hinge 9130, a first h2₁ leaf 1936 isfastened to the p2 forward edge 972 of the second panel 944, while thesecond h2₁ leaf 1938 is fastened to a s1 rearward edge 9140 of thespacer panel 9128. With respect to the second h2 hinge 9132, a first h22leaf 9142 is fastened to a s1 forward edge 9144 of the spacer panel9128, while the second h22 leaf 9146 is fastened to the p3 rearward edge980 of the third panel 946. The first and second leaves of each of thefirst and second h2 hinges 9130, 9132 are fastened to the respectivepanels using an h2 fastener 9148. As shown, the h2 fastener 9148 is athreaded fastener, although it will be appreciated that other fasteningmeans may be possible, including but not limited to the use of rivets.

The second hinge assembly 992 additionally includes an h2 seal member9150 positioned at each of the first and second h2 hinges 9130, 9132.For each h2 hinge, the h2 seal member 9150 is captured between theleaves of the hinge and each respective edge of the adjacent panels.Specifically, with respect to the h2 seal member 9150 a at the first h2hinge 9130, the h2 seal member 9150 a is captured between the leaves ofthe h2 hinge 9130 and each respective edge of the adjacent second andspacer panels 944, 9128. For the h2 seal member 9150 b at the second h2hinge 9132, the h2 seal member 9150 b is captured between the leaves ofthe h2 hinge 9132 and each respective edge of the adjacent spacer andthird panels 9128, 946. Each h2 seal member 9150 spans the externalsurface of the h2 hinge barrel interface 9152 interconnecting the hingeleaves and is retained in position by virtue of the fasteners used toattach the h2 hinges 9130, 9132 to the respective adjacent panels. Asstated earlier, as the exemplary panel construction for the tonneaucover 938 includes the edge frame 9114 affixed to the respective panel,the attachment of the hinge leaves to each respective panel additionallycaptures the edge frame 9114 therebetween.

The spacer panel 9128 may be constructed in a similar manner as thepanels, and therein includes a similar edge frame to that previouslydescribed. Alternatively, the spacer panel may be extruded from asuitable plastic or metal, and the edge frame feature may be integrallyformed therewith.

Rail System—First and Second Side Rails

Turning now to FIGS. 16a and 16b , shown is a sectional profile throughthe side rail of the rail system 940. As both the first and second siderails 948, 950 are configured and dimensioned in the same manner, onlythe first side rail 948 will be discussed in detail below.

The side rail 948 is an injection molded structure that is mounted uponthe upper surface 33 of the bed rail 34 of the respective side wallsection 30 a. The side rail 948 is formed as an elongate rail body 9170with an exposed exterior rail surface 9172 and a generally hiddeninterior rail surface 9174.

The rail system 940 foregoes the traditional prior art clampingmethodology to retain the rail system in position. Instead, the siderail 948 incorporates a fastening system that includes one or morefastening elements configured to engage the upper surface 33 and/orupper wall structure 9176 of the bed rail 34 of the cargo bed 24. Ofparticular note is that the fastening system designed for use with thetonneau cover assembly 936 is configured to minimize obstruction of thecargo bed opening, in particular the area between the opposing side-wallsections 30 a, 30 b. The fastening system may be configured in a numberof ways. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16a and 16b , thefastening system is configured to include the one or more fasteningelements in the form of a retaining clip 9178 that cooperates with acomplementary fastener aperture 9180 formed through the upper surface 33and upper wall structure 9176 of the bed rail 34. The retaining clip9178 extends through the fastener aperture 9180 and includes at leastone retaining barb 9182 arranged to engage a rail underside 9184 of thebed rail 34 upon installation. To enable serviceability of the railsystem 940 and/or the cargo bed 24, it is preferable that the retainingclip 9178 exhibit enough flexibility to be selectively detached from thefastener aperture 9180 when necessary. The retaining clip 9178 as shownis integrally formed upon the interior rail surface 9174 of the railbody 9170. In general, the interior rail surface 9174 of the rail body9170 will include a plurality of retaining clips 9178 along the lengthof the rail body 9170.

Although a singular type of fastening element may be implemented, insome embodiments the fastening system may include two or more differenttypes of fastening elements. For example, the fastening system mayinclude one or more of the above-described retaining clips used incooperation with one or more alternate fastening elements, including butnot limited to threaded fasteners and adhesive-based fasteners. In oneembodiment, the interior rail surface of the rail body may be providedwith one or more retaining clips and one or more insert-molded threadedfasteners (not shown) configured to extend through a complementarythreaded fastener aperture formed through the upper surface and upperwall structure of the bed rail. Use of this type of fastener elementwould be suitable where there is access to the rail underside of the bedrail, to facilitate the placement of a complementary nut or similarfastener during installation of the rail system. The aforementionedadhesive-based fasteners may also be considered for certainimplementations. This may be achieved by providing the interior railsurface of the rail body with one or more adhesive pad surfaces (notshown) dimensioned to engage the upper surface of the bed rail uponinstallation. A suitable adhesive (i.e. adhesive tape) may be applied tothe adhesive pad surface, to adhesively bond the side rail to the uppersurface of the bed rail. A still further alternative fastening elementthat may be suitably implemented are those generally referred to asChristmas tree fasteners (not shown), which include a plurality of barbsto engage the receiving structure. As Christmas free fasteners aregenerally a separately formed structure, they may be suitablyimplemented by providing suitable Christmas Tree mounts on the interiorrail surface of the rail body. Another option for the fastening elementis to provide the interior rail surface of the rail body with one ormore fastening bosses, which during installation are engaged bycomplementary threaded fasteners inserted from the underside of the bedrail. In some instances, the retaining clips 9178 may be configured tobe non-removable from the receiving fastening aperture, to providegreater theft protection.

The elongate rail body 9170 as shown includes a profile wall 9190, afirst seat wall (w1) 9192 and a second seat wall (w2) 9194. The profilewall 9190 defines the principal shape and aesthetic character of therail body 9170, while the first and second seat walls 9192, 9194collectively provide a seat to receive and sealingly engage the tonneaucover 938. The profile wall 9170 includes a first profile end 9196positioned upon or in the vicinity of an outboard surface 9198 of therespective side-wall section 30 a, and a second profile end 9200generally where the profile wall 9190 transitions to the first seat wall9192. The profile wall 9190 also provides a shape-defining region 9202between the first and second profile ends 9196, 9200. In the embodimentshown, the shape-defining region 9202 provides a planar segment 9204 anda radiused segment 9206. The first seat wall 9192 is positioned in asubstantially vertical orientation, while the second seat wall 9194 ispositioned in a substantially horizontal orientation. The first seatwall 9192 is attached at a first w1 end 9208 to the second profile end9200 of the profile wall 9190 and is attached at a second w1 end 9210 toa first w2 end 9212 of the second seat wall 9194. Positioned at a secondw2 end 9214 of the second seat wall 9194 is a w2 wall extension 9216that seats against an inboard surface 9218 of the side-wall section 30a.

The first seat wall 9192 supports a first edge seal 9222 configured toengage the edge frame 9114 of the tonneau cover 938 on closure, inparticular along the side edges of the edge frame 9114 of each tonneaucover panel. The first edge seal 9222 may be configured as a bulb seal(as shown) and is generally a continuous seal along the length of therail body. The first edge seal 9222 is affixed to the first seat wall9192 using a variety of fasteners, including but not limited toadhesives (i.e. glue, tapes, etc.), clips and integrally molded tabs.

The second seat wall 9194 provides a w2 seal surface 9224 configured tobe engaged by a second edge seal 9226 provided around the periphery ofthe tonneau cover, generally affixed to a frame underside surface 9228of the edge frame 9114 of each tonneau cover panel. Placing the secondedge seal 9226 on the frame underside surface 9228 of the tonneau cover938 serves to protect the second edge seal 9226 during loading/unloadingof payload, and further simplifies the act of cleaning off the w2 sealsurface 9224, which can easily be performed using a cleaning brush orsimilar instrument.

The arrangement of the second seat wall 9194, the first profile end 9196of the profile wall 9190, and the w2 wall extension 9216 are selected toclosely match the receiving surface of the respective bed rail 34. Theaction of the fastening system serves to engage the aforementioned railbody elements to the respective receiving surface in a secure manner. Toadditionally ensure a secure fit, the rail body 9170 may be dimensionedsuch that upon installation, there is an interference fit betweenengaging surfaces.

Rail System—Tailgate Rail

Turning now to FIGS. 17a and 17b , shown is a sectional profile throughthe tailgate rail 952 of the rail system 940. As the tailgate rail 952is substantially the same as the side rail 948, only the differenceswill be discussed. Where appropriate, like number will be used to denoteparts/elements on the tailgate rail 952 that correspond toparts/elements previously introduced and described with reference to theside rail 948.

The tailgate rail 952 is an injection molded structure that is mountedupon the upper surface 33 of the bed rail 34 of the tailgate 32. Thetailgate rail 952 is formed as an elongate rail body 9170 having anexposed exterior rail surface 9172 and a generally hidden interior railsurface 9174.

The tailgate rail 952 includes a similar fastening system as thatdescribed above for the side rail 948. As shown, the fastening systemincludes a plurality of fastening elements having the form of aretaining clip 9178. The retaining clips 9178 are integrally formed uponthe interior rail surface 9174 of the rail body 9170. Similar to theside rail 948, the fastening system used for the tailgate rail 952 mayinclude a singular type of fastening element or may include two or moredifferent types of fastening elements. The various types of fasteningelements that may find application are the same as those described abovewith reference to the side rail 948.

The elongate rail body 9170 of the tailgate rail 952 includes a profilewall 9190, a first seat wall 9192 and a second seat wall 9194. The seatformed by the first and second seat walls 9192, 9194 operate in the sameway as the seat formed on the side rails 48. The first seat wall 9192supports a first edge seal 9222, while the second seat wall 9194provides a w2 seal surface 9224 configured to be engaged by a secondedge seal 9226 provided around the periphery of the tonneau cover,generally affixed to the frame underside surface 9228 of the edge frame9114. As shown, in this embodiment, the second edge seal 9226 isprovided in the form of a bulb seal, although other types of seals maybe suitably implemented. With respect to the profile wall 9190, it willbe appreciated that the dimensions defining the radiused segment 9206,the planar segment 9204, as well as the dimensional spacing between thefirst profile end 9196 and the extension wall 9216 of the tailgate rail952 are selected to match that of the tailgate 32 upon which it ismounted.

In some embodiments, the extension wall 9216 may be configured to coversubstantially the entire inside (i.e. cargo bed facing) surface of thetailgate, to avoid the formation of an edge that could potentially causea catch point when maneuvering cargo in/out of the cargo bed. In anotherembodiment, the inside (cargo bed facing) surface of the tailgate may beconfigured with a recess that receives the extension wall 9216. In thisway, the exposed side of the extension wall 9216 has a flush interfacewith the inside (cargo bed facing) surface.

Rail System—Mount Rail

Turning now to FIGS. 18a and 18b , shown is a sectional profile throughthe mount rail 954 of the rail system 940. Like the tailgate rail 952,it will be noted that the mount rail 954 has structural similarities tothe side rail 948. For this reason, only the differences will bediscussed in detail. Where appropriate, like number will be used todenote parts/elements of the mount rail 954 that correspond toparts/elements previously introduced and described with reference to theside rail 948.

The mount rail 954 is an injection molded structure that is mounted uponthe upper surface 33 of the bed rail 34 of the forward wall 28. Themount rail 954 is formed as an elongate rail body 9170 having an exposedexterior rail surface 9172 and a generally hidden interior rail surface9174.

The mount rail 954 includes a similar fastening system as that describedabove for the side rail 948. As shown, the fastening system includes aplurality of fastening elements having the form of a retaining clip9178. The retaining clips 9178 are integrally formed upon the interiorrail surface 9174 of the rail body 9170. Similar to the side rails 948,the fastening system used for the mount rail 954 may include a singulartype of fastening element or may include two or more different types offastening elements. The various types of fastening elements that mayfind application are the same as those described above with reference tothe side rail 948.

The elongate rail body 9170 of the mount rail 954 includes a profilewall 9190, a first seat wall 9192 and a second seat wall 9194. The mountrail 954 additionally includes a reinforcement member 9240 positioned onthe interior surface of the elongate rail body 9170. The reinforcementmember 9240 extends along the length of the elongate rail body 9170 ofthe mount rail 954 and is affixed to an inside seat surface 9242 of thefirst seat wall 9192 using a suitable fastener (not shown). Suitablefasteners will include, but are not limited to threaded fasteners,rivets, as well as adhesives (i.e. glue, tape, etc.). At each end of theelongate rail body 9170, the reinforcement member 9240 additionallyextends to rest upon the upper wall surface 33 of each side wall section30 a, 30 b. In this way, the reinforcement member 9240 providesadditional support, and serves to prevent rotation of the mount rail 954when all the panels are being folded against the cab.

On the opposing side of the first seat wall 9192, that is on theopposing outside seat surface 9244, the mount rail 954 supports thethird hinge assembly (h3) 996. As stated earlier, the third hingeassembly 996 serves to hingedly connect the third panel 946 to the mountrail 954. The third hinge assembly 996 is shown to include an h3 hinge9250, generally having the form of a piano hinge, although other hingearrangements may be suitably implemented to achieve the desiredrotational movement.

As shown, the h3 hinge 9250 includes an h3 central pin 9252 about whichthe leaves of the h3 hinge 9250 pivot. As shown, a first h3 leaf 9254 isfastened to the outside seat surface 9244 of the first seat wall 9192 ofthe mount rail 954, while the second h3 leaf 9256 is fastened to aforward edge 9258 of a coupling member 9260. The coupling member 9260 isused to removably receive the p3 forward edge 982 of the third panel 946of the tonneau cover 938, as will be described in greater detail below.

The first and second leaves of the h3 hinge 9250 are fastened to therespective surfaces using a suitable fastener (not shown). Suitablefasteners will include but are not limited to threaded fasteners andrivets. In the embodiment shown, the third hinge assembly 996additionally includes an h3 seal member 9262 positioned between theleaves of the hinge and each respective receiving surface of theadjacent mount rail 954 and the coupling member 9260. The h3 seal member9262 spans the external surface of the h3 hinge barrel interface 9264interconnecting the first and second leaves and is retained in positionby virtue of the fasteners used to attach the h3 hinge 9250 to therespective mount rail 954 and coupling member 9260.

Rail System—Seat for Recessed Appearance

The rail system 940 is dimensioned to receive the tonneau cover 938 in amanner that has the appearance of a flush-mounted system. It will benoted that the tonneau cover 938 partially overlaps the bed rail 34 ofat least the first side rail 948, the second side rail 950, and thetailgate rail 952. To avoid the appearance of a top-mounted tonneaucover, and therein achieve the desired flush-mounted appearance, theedges of the tonneau cover 938 aligning to the first side rail 948, thesecond side rail 950, the tailgate rail 952 and the mount rail 954 arereceived in the seat of the respective rail body. Accordingly, the firstseat wall 9192 for each respective rail 948, 950, 952, 954 isdimensioned to establish a seat depth D that approximately matches thethickness T of the tonneau cover 938 around the periphery thereof,including a seal or any similar pliant sealing structure (as shown inFIG. 19 having regard to side rail 948). The second seat wall 9194 foreach respective rail 948, 950, 952 provides the base of the seat, and ispositioned directly upon and is provided support by the upper surface 33of the respective bed rail 34. With this arrangement, the outsidesurface 9270 of the planar segment 9204 of each of the first and secondside rails 948, 950, the tailgate rail 952, and the mount rail 954appear generally flush with the topside planar surface 9272 of thetonneau cover 938.

In another embodiment hereof illustrated in FIG. 19a , a side rail 948 amay be constructed in two parts to provide adjustability thereto.Tonneau covers are often installed as an after-market add on, and thesize and configuration of a bed rail 34 of a cargo bed 24 may vary. Byproviding the side rail 948 a in an outer component 949 a and an innercomponent 949 b, the relative positioning of the outer and innercomponents 949 a, 949 b to each other can be adjusted to accommodate bedrails having a range of widths. Although only the side rail 948 a isshown in FIG. 19a , i.e., a first side rail, it will be understood byone of ordinary skill in the art that a second side rail, such as asecond side rail 950, may also include the two-part construction.However, as both the first and second side rails are configured anddimensioned in the same manner, only the side rail 948 a will bediscussed in detail below.

The outer component 949 a is formed as an elongate body and is aninjection molded structure that is configured to be mounted upon anupper surface 33 of the bed rail 34 of a respective side wall section 30a. The outer component 949 a incorporates a fastening system thatincludes one or more fastening elements such as a retaining clip 9178,as described above, to engage the upper surface 33 of the bed rail 34 ofthe cargo bed 24. The outer component 949 a includes a profile wall 9190a that has a generally curved configuration that defines the principalshape and aesthetic character of the side rail 948 a. The outercomponent 949 a includes a first end 9196 a positioned upon or in thevicinity of an outboard surface 9198 of the respective side-wall section30 a, and a second end 9200 a. The profile wall 9190 a includes a planarsegment 9204 a and a radiused segment 9206 a.

The inner component 949 b is formed as an elongate body and is aninjection molded structure that is configured to be disposed upon theupper surface 33 of the bed rail 34 of the respective side wall section30 a, and attached to the outer component 949 a via a fastener 949 c.The inner component 949 b includes a first seat wall 9192 a and a secondseat wall 9194 a that collectively provide a seat to receive andsealingly engage the tonneau cover 938. The first seat wall 9192 a ispositioned in a substantially vertical orientation relative to the cargobed 24, while the second seat wall 9194 a is positioned in asubstantially horizontal orientation relative to the cargo bed 24. Theinner component 949 b also includes a first wall extension 9215 thatseats against the planar segment 9204 a of the outer component 949 a,and a second wall extension 9216 a that is configured to seat against aninboard surface 9218 of the side-wall section 30 a. The first wallextension 9215 is positioned in a substantially horizontal orientationand extends from the first seat wall 9192 a, such that the first seatwall 9192 a extends between the first wall extension 9215 and the secondseat wall 9194 a. The second wall extension 9216 a is positioned in asubstantially vertical orientation and extends from the second seat wall9194 a, such that the second seat wall 9194 a extends between the firstseat wall 9192 a and the second wall extension 9216 a. The first seatwall 9192 a supports and is attached to a first edge seal 9222, which isconfigured to engage an edge frame 9114 of the tonneau cover 938 onclosure, in particular along the side edges of the edge frame 9114 ofeach tonneau cover panel. The second seat wall 9194 a is configured toengage a second edge seal 9226 provided around the periphery of thetonneau cover, generally affixed to a frame underside surface of theedge frame 9114 of each tonneau cover panel.

To assemble the outer and inner components 949 a, 949 b into the siderail 948 a, the planar segment 9204 a of the outer component 949 a ispositioned or disposed over the first wall extension 9215 of the innercomponent 949 b. The planar segment 9204 a of the outer component 949 aand the first wall extension 9215 of the inner component 949 b seat orabut against each other as shown in FIG. 19a . However, a length ofoverlap 947 between the planar segment 9204 a of the outer component 949a and the first wall extension 9215 of the inner component 949 b dependsupon the width of the bed rail 34 of the cargo bed 24. Narrower bedrails will result in a longer length of overlap between the planarsegment 9204 a of the outer component 949 a and the first wall extension9215 of the inner component 949 b, while wider bed rails will result ina shorter length of overlap between the planar segment 9204 a of theouter component 949 a and the first wall extension 9215 of the innercomponent 949 b. Since the inner component 949 b may be moved relativeto the outer component 949 a, a width of the side rail 948 a isadjustable to accommodate bed rails having a range of widths.

After the outer and inner components 949 a, 949 b are disposed onto thebed rail 34, the inner component 949 b is secured to the outer component949 a via the fastener 949 c. In an embodiment, the fastener 949 c maybe a threaded fastener system having a screw boss and captured nutalthough other fastener systems may be used. For example, the fastener949 c may have a lead screw style and be hidden under the first edgeseal 9222.

The two-part side rail 948 a also achieves the desired flush-mountedappearance described above with respect to the side rail 948, such thatthe edges of the tonneau cover 938 aligning to the rail system arereceived in the seat of the respective rail body. Accordingly, the firstseat wall 9192 a is dimensioned to establish a seat depth D thatapproximately matches the thickness T of the tonneau cover 938 aroundthe periphery thereof, including a seal or any similar pliant sealingstructure (as shown in FIG. 19a having regard to side rail 948 a). Thesecond seat wall 9194 a provides the base of the seat and is configuredto be positioned directly upon and is provided support by the uppersurface 33 of the respective bed rail 34. With this arrangement, anoutside surface 9270 a of the planar segment 9204 a of the outercomponent 949 a of the side rail 948 a appears generally flush with atopside planar surface 9272 of the tonneau cover 938.

Coupling Member Retainer Pin

As previously mentioned, the mount rail 954 supports the hingedlyconnected coupling member 9260. As shown in FIG. 20, the coupling member9260 is configured in the form of a C-shaped channel and includes afirst slip surface 9280 on a top face 9282 and a second slip surface9284 on a bottom face 9286 of the coupling interior surface 9288. Thefirst and second slip surfaces 9280, 9284 are configured to slidinglyengage the edge frame 9114 of the tonneau cover 938 in the region of thep3 forward edge 982 of the third panel 946. The coupling member 9260also includes a stop surface 9290 that engages the second seat wall 9194on closure of the tonneau cover 938. The coupling member 9260facilitates the attachment and detachment of the tonneau cover 938 fromthe rail system 940. The coupling member 9260, in particular the gapspacing G between the opposing first and second slip surfaces 9280, 9284is dimensioned to receive the tonneau cover 938. In the embodimentshown, the gap spacing G is sized to receive the edge frame 9114 of thetonneau cover 938. The first and second slip surfaces 9280, 9284 serveto improve the sliding relationship between the tonneau cover 938 andthe coupling member 9260.

To maintain the tonneau, cover 938 attached to the coupling member 9260,a retainer pin 9292 is used. Across the length of the coupling member,there may be a plurality of retainer pins 9292. In a preferredembodiment, two retainer pins 9292 are provided. On insertion of thetonneau cover 938 in the coupling member 9260, a tonneau cover retaineraperture 9294 aligns to a corresponding coupler retainer aperture 9296.The aligned apertures 9294, 9296 receive the retainer pin 9292 (as shownin FIG. 18a ), therein preventing the tonneau cover 938 from beingslidingly removed from the coupling member 9260. To permit the retainerpin 9292 to rotate about the third hinge assembly 996 when the tonneaucover 938 is being opened to the third opened position, a slot 9298 isprovided in the second seat wall 9194. In the embodiment shown in FIG.20, the coupling interior surface 9288 also supports a coupler seal 9300that engages the edge frame 9114 of the tonneau cover 938.

While the retainer pin 9292 may be configured to be slidingly insertedinto the aligned retainer apertures, it may also be configured with athreaded portion that engages a corresponding threaded region in thecoupling member 9260. In this way, the retainer pin 9292 must be rotatedfor insertion/removal, lessening inadvertent dislodgement and potentialloss and/or damage to the tonneau cover 938. The retainer pin 9292 mayalso include a tether 9310 that attaches the retainer pin to the mountrail 954, as seen in FIG. 21.

Lock Feature

With reference now to FIGS. 22a and 22b , shown is the tonneau cover 938wherein the first panel 942 is folded upon the second panel 944. Tosecure the first panel 942 against the second panel 944, that is toreleasably lock the first and second panels together, a lock feature isprovided. The lock feature 9320 includes at least one first barrelmember 9322 located on the upper surface of the p1 rearward edge 960 ofthe edge frame 9114 of the first panel 942. As shown, two first barrelmembers 9322 are provided, towards each side of the tonneau cover 938.Each barrel member 9322 provided on the first panel 942 includes a firstpin aperture 9324. On folding the first panel 942 upon the second panel944, the first pin aperture 9324 of the first barrel member 9322 alignswith a cooperating second pin aperture 9326 provided on a respectivecorresponding second barrel member 9328. On alignment of the first andsecond pin apertures 9324, 9326, a lock pin 9330 can be insertedtherethrough to maintain the first panel 942 in the folded positionrelative to the second panel 944, as shown in FIG. 22c . The lock pin9330 may be provided as a separate component that is inserted andthreaded into the locked position. The lock pin may also be retained onone of the barrel members, and through a suitable mechanism, ispositionable between a locked an unlocked position. The mechanism mayinclude a spring to bias the lock pin to the locked position.

Latch System

The tonneau cover 938 includes hardware to enable a secure and lockableclosure of the tonneau cover 938 upon the rail system 940. Withreference to FIG. 23, shown is an underside 9340 of the tonneau cover938, where a latch system is provided. The latch system includes a firstlatch assembly 9342 operably associated with the first panel 942, and asecond latch assembly 9344 operably associated with the second panel944.

The first latch assembly 9342 includes two latch units 9346, one on eachside of the first panel 942. Each latch unit 9346 is configured as aslam latch, with a moveable latch member 9348 (as shown in FIG. 24a )being positionable to operably engage a closure feature provided on therespective side-wall section 30 a, 30 b. The pair of latch units 9346 ofthe first latch assembly 9342 are operably connected to a suitablerelease mechanism. In the embodiment shown, the pair of latch units 9346are operably connected to a release member 9350 by way of a respectiveactuation cable 9352. The release member 9350 and associated actuationcables 9352 serve to disengage the latch units 9346 when necessary. Therelease members 9350 are provided in the form of rotatable handles 9354,although other release mechanisms may be suitably implemented. The latchunits 9346, and the operably associated actuation cables 9352 andrelease member 9350 may be configured with springs or other biasingmembers so as to be biased towards the locking position. The releasemembers 9350 may include a locking feature, so enable the user to lockthe tonneau cover 938 in the closed position. A suitable locking featuremay include one that is lockable using a key, accessible from either theinside or topside of the tonneau cover assembly.

The second latch assembly 9344 is configured similarly to that describedabove with respect to the first latch assembly 9342. Where the firstlatch assembly 9342 provides a single release member 9350 positionedtoward the center of the first panel 942, that is between the first andsecond side wall sections 30 a, 30 b, the second latch assembly 9344provides a pair of release members 9350, one located near each of thefirst and second side wall sections 30 a, 30 b.

In some embodiments, a third latch assembly may be provided (not shown).The third latch assembly would be operably associated with the thirdpanel 946, and would be configured similarly to that described abovewith respect to the second latch assembly 9344.

The closure feature provided on each of the first and second side wallsections 30 a, 30 b is engaged by the respective latch unit 9346,therein preventing the tonneau cover panel from being opened untilpurposely released. The closure feature generally includes a closureaperture 9360 provided in the respective side-wall section (shownrelative to side-wall section 30 a and side rail 948), configured toreceive the latch member. This arrangement is represented in FIGS. 24aand 24b . The closure feature may also be configured in a variety ofother ways. For example, FIG. 25 depicts a closure feature where inaddition to the closure aperture 9360, the side rail 948 includes asecond closure aperture 9362 and an integral close-out 9364 provided onthe extension wall 9216. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 26, the closurefeature is similar to that shown in FIG. 25, with the closure aperture9360 provided in the side wall section 30 a, and the second closureaperture 9364 provided in the side rail 948, but without the integralclose-out. In yet another embodiment (see FIG. 27), a strike plate 9368with plate aperture 9370 is provided over the closure aperture 9360provided in the side wall section 30 a.

Stake-Pocket Access Ports

In some embodiments of the rail system 940, the first and second siderails 948, 950 may be configured with ports that permit access to thestake pockets provided as part of the cargo bed structure. Withreference to FIG. 28, shown is the first side rail 948 wherein a pair ofpocket ports 9380 are provided. The pocket ports 9380 are positioned toalign with the stake pockets 9382 provided on the cargo bed 24. Eachpocket port 9380 may be provided with a removable access door 9384. Theaccess door 9384 may be hinged or configured to be completely removedwhen access to the stake pocket is required.

Other Features

The various seals described herein may be selected from a variety ofmaterials, and there is no intention to be restricted to a particulartype of material. The materials selected for the various seals will bedependent upon the desired sealing performance. In general, seals willbe formed of a suitable rubber or flexible polymeric material. Theshapes and/or dimensions shown are merely exemplary, and it will beappreciated that additional shapes/dimensions may be selected, dependingon the desired sealing performance. In some instances, multiple sealsarranged in close proximity may be combined into a single sealingarrangement. In some instances, additional seals may be added to enhancesealing performance.

The edge frame 9114 referenced above is generally used to seal the panelstructure. The edge frame may be a metal (i.e. aluminum) extrusion butmay also be formed of plastic or other resin materials. There is nointention to limit the type of material suitable for use in forming theedge frame 9114 described herein.

The various rails making up the rail system 940 are generally formed ofa suitable plastic material. A non-limiting example of a suitablematerial includes a talc and/or glass-fiber filled polypropylene. Itwill be appreciated that a wide range of other materials may be suitablyimplemented for constructing the rail system 940, and there is nointention to limit the type of material to those strictly describedherein. The rail system 940 may additionally comprise a metal cap orother covering to provide additional protection to the rail systemcomponents. The rail system, in particular the interior rail surface9174 may additionally comprise features that impart additionalperformance characteristics. For instance, the rails making up the railsystem may additionally include a system of ribs, one or both of lateraland longitudinal ribs that impart additional stiffening characteristicsto the rail system. The ribs may be continuous, or discontinuous,depending on the application. Structural enhancements may also beachieved through a range of other features molded onto the interior railsurface.

A specific arrangement for the first, second, and third hinge assemblieshas been shown herein. As stated, other hinge configurations arepossible, and may be suitably implemented as substitutes. For instance,in some embodiment, the hinge assemblies maybe based on a flexible hingemember that is fixedly attached to the edges of the adjacentlypositioned tonneau cover panels. The flexible hinge members may provideboth a hinging action, as well as sealing functionality.

Alternative Rail System

FIG. 29 and FIG. 30 illustrate another embodiment of a rail system 2940that serves to facilitate the closure and sealing of the tonneau cover938 to the cargo bed 24. Similar to the rail system 940, the rail system2940 includes a first side rail, a second side rail, a tailgate rail,and a mount rail. Collectively the rail system 2940 is mounted upon theupper wall surface 33 of the cargo bed 24 (i.e. the bed rail 34) in thesame manner as the rail system 940 described above. As will be describedin greater detail below, in addition to facilitating the mounting of thetonneau cover 938 to the cargo bed 24, the rail system 2940 cooperateswith the tonneau cover 938 in a manner that serves to prevent theingress of water and debris into the cargo bed 24.

Turning now to FIG. 29, shown is a sectional profile through a firstside rail 2948 of the rail system 2940. As both the first and secondside rails are configured and dimensioned in the same manner, only thefirst side rail 2948 will be discussed in detail below.

The side rail 2948 is an injection molded structure mounted upon theupper surface 33 of the bed rail 34 of the side wall section 30 a. Theside rail 2948 is formed as an elongate rail body 2970 with an exposedexterior rail surface 2972 and a generally hidden interior rail surface2974.

The rail system 2940 foregoes the traditional prior art clampingmethodology to retain the rail system in position. Instead, the siderail 2948 incorporates a fastening system that includes one or morefastening elements configured to engage the upper surface 33 and/orupper wall structure 2976 of the bed rail 34 of the cargo bed 24. Ofparticular note is that the fastening system designed for use with thetonneau cover assembly is configured to minimize obstruction of thecargo bed opening, in particular the area between the opposing side-wallsections 30 a, 30 b. The fastening system may be configured in a numberof ways. For example, fastening system is configured to include the oneor more fastening elements in the form of a retaining clip 2978 thatcooperates with a complementary fastener aperture 2980 formed throughthe upper surface 33 and upper wall structure 2976 of the bed rail 34.The retaining clip 2978 extends through the fastener aperture 2980 andincludes at least one retaining barb 2982 arranged to engage a railunderside 2984 of the bed rail 34 upon installation. To enableserviceability of the rail system 2940 and/or the cargo bed 24, it ispreferable that the retaining clip 2978 exhibit enough flexibility to beselectively detached from the fastener aperture 2980 when necessary. Theretaining clip 2978 as shown is integrally formed upon the interior railsurface 2974 of the rail body 2970. In general, the interior railsurface 2974 of the rail body 2970 will include a plurality of retainingclips 2978 along the length of the rail body 2970. Although a singulartype of fastening element may be implemented, in some embodiments thefastening system may include two or more different types of fasteningelements as described above with respect to the rail system 940.

The elongate rail body 2970 as shown includes a profile wall 2990, afirst seat wall 2992, a second seat wall 2994, and a third seat wall2995 extending between the first seat wall 2992 and the second seat wall2994. The profile wall 2990 defines the principal shape and aestheticcharacter of the rail body 2970, while the first, second, and third seatwalls 2992, 2994, 2995 collectively provide a seat to receive andsealingly engage the tonneau cover 938. The profile wall 2970 includes afirst profile end 2996 positioned upon or in the vicinity of an outboardsurface 2998 of the respective side-wall section 30 a, and a secondprofile end 2900 generally where the profile wall 2990 transitions tothe first seat wall 2992. The profile wall 2990 also provides ashape-defining region 2902 between the first and second profile ends2996, 2900. In the embodiment shown, the shape-defining region 2902provides a radiused segment 2906. In an embodiment, the first seat wall2992 is positioned at an angle θ between 5 and 30 degrees relative tothe second side wall 2994. In another embodiment, the first seal wall2992 may be positioned in a substantially horizontal orientation. Thesecond seat wall 2994 is positioned in a substantially horizontalorientation. The third seat wall 2995 extends between the first andsecond seat walls 2992, 2994 at an angle between 120 and 150 degreesrelative to the second side wall 2994. The first seat wall 2992 isattached at a first end 2908 to the second profile end 2900 of theprofile wall 2990 and is attached at a second end 2910 to a first end2993 of the third seat wall 2995. In an embodiment, the first end 2908curves in an upward direction such that the first end 2908 and thesecond end 2910 are substantially level. The second seat wall 2994 isattached at a first end 2912 to a second end 2997 of the third seat wall2995 and is attached at a second end 2914 to an extension wall 2916 thatseats against an inboard surface 2918 of the side-wall section 30 a.

The first seat wall 2992 provides a seal surface 2923 configured to beengaged by a first edge seal 2922 provided around the periphery of thetonneau cover, generally affixed to an underside surface of a flange9115 of the edge frame 9114 of each tonneau cover panel. Placing thefirst edge seal 2922 on the underside surface of the flange 9115 of theedge frame 9114 serves to protect the first edge seal 2922 duringloading/unloading of payload, and further simplifies the act of cleaningoff the first edge seal 2922, which can easily be performed using acleaning brush or similar instrument. The first edge seal 2922 may beconfigured as a plurality of flexible filaments (as shown) and isgenerally a continuous seal along the length of the rail body. Althoughshown as a plurality of filaments, other types of seal components may beutilized. For example, in another embodiment hereof, a bulb seal (notshown) may be affixed to the first seat wall 2992 using a variety offasteners, including but not limited to adhesives (i.e. glue, tapes,etc.), clips and integrally molded tabs.

The second seat wall 2994 provides a seal surface 2924 configured to beengaged by a second edge seal 2926 provided around the periphery of thetonneau cover, generally affixed to a frame underside surface 2928 ofthe edge frame 9114 of each tonneau cover panel. Placing the second edgeseal 2926 on the frame underside surface 2928 of the tonneau cover 938serves to protect the second edge seal 2926 during loading/unloading ofpayload, and further simplifies the act of cleaning off the seal surface2924, which can easily be performed using a cleaning brush or similarinstrument. The second edge seal 2926 may be configured as a pluralityof flexible filaments (as shown) and is generally a continuous sealalong the length of the rail body. Although shown as a plurality offilaments, other types of seal components may be utilized. For example,in another embodiment hereof, a bulb seal (not shown) may be affixed tothe frame underside surface 2928 of the edge frame 9114 using a varietyof fasteners, including but not limited to adhesives (i.e. glue, tapes,etc.), clips and integrally molded tabs.

The seal surface 2924 is configured to facilitate water management in amanner that serves to prevent the ingress of water and debris into thecargo bed 24. More particularly, a ridge or hump 2925 is disposed at thetransition area between the second end 2914 of the second seat wall 2994and the extension wall 2916. If any water works its way past the firstedge seal 2922 and the second edge seal 2926, the ridge 2925 causes theseal surface 2924 to effectively serve as a channel that diverts ordirects any such water away from the cargo bed 24.

The arrangement of the second seat wall 2994, the first profile end 2996of the profile wall 2990, and the extension wall 2916 are selected toclosely match or mate with the receiving surface of the respective bedrail 34. The action of the fastening system serves to engage theaforementioned rail body elements to the respective receiving surface ina secure manner. To additionally ensure a secure fit, the rail body 2970may be dimensioned such that upon installation, there is an interferencefit between engaging surfaces.

Turning now to FIG. 30, shown is a sectional profile through thetailgate rail 2952 of the rail system 2940. As the tailgate rail 2952 issubstantially the same as the side rail 2948, only the differences willbe discussed. Where appropriate, like number will be used to denoteparts/elements on the tailgate rail 2952 that correspond toparts/elements previously introduced and described with reference to theside rail 2948.

The tailgate rail 2952 is an injection molded structure mounted upon theupper surface 33 of the bed rail 34 of the tailgate 32. The tailgaterail 2952 is formed as an elongate rail body 2970 having an exposedexterior rail surface 2972 and a generally hidden interior rail surface2974.

The tailgate rail 2952 includes a similar fastening system as thatdescribed above for the side rail 2948. As shown, the fastening systemincludes a plurality of fastening elements having the form of aretaining clip 2978. The retaining clips 2978 are integrally formed uponthe interior rail surface 2974 of the rail body 2970. Similar to theside rail 2948, the fastening system used for the tailgate rail 2952 mayinclude a singular type of fastening element or may include two or moredifferent types of fastening elements. The various types of fasteningelements that may find application are the same as those described abovewith reference to the side rail 2948.

The elongate rail body 2970 of the tailgate rail 2952 includes a profilewall 2990, a first seat wall 2992, a second seat wall 2994, and a thirdseat wall 2995 extending between the first seat wall 2992 and the secondseat wall 2994. The profile wall 2990 defines the principal shape andaesthetic character of the rail body 2970, while the first, second, andthird seat walls 2992, 2994, 2995 collectively provide a seat to receiveand sealingly engage the tonneau cover 938. The seat formed by thefirst, second, and third seat walls 2992, 2994, 2995 operate in the sameway as the seat formed on the side rails 2948. The first seat wall 2992provides a seal surface 2923 configured to be engaged by a first edgeseal 2922 provided around the periphery of the tonneau cover, generallyaffixed to an underside surface of a flange 9115 of the edge frame 9114of each tonneau cover panel, while the second seat wall 2994 provides aseal surface 2924 configured to be engaged by a second edge seal 2926provided around the periphery of the tonneau cover, generally affixed toa frame underside surface 2928 of the edge frame 9114 of each tonneaucover panel. As shown, in this embodiment, both the first edge seal 2922and the second edge seal 2926 are provided in the form of a plurality offlexible filaments, although other types of seals may be suitablyimplemented. With respect to the profile wall 2990, it will beappreciated that the dimensions defining the radiused segment 2906, aswell as the dimensional spacing between the first profile end 2996 andthe extension wall 2916 of the tailgate rail 2952 are selected to matchthat of the tailgate 32 upon which it is mounted.

The seal surface 2924 is configured to facilitate water management in amanner that serves to prevent the ingress of water and debris into thecargo bed 24 via the ridge or hump 2925 that is disposed at thetransition area between the second end 2914 of the second seat wall 2994and the extension wall 2916. If any water works its way past the firstedge seal 2922 and the second edge seal 2926, the ridge 2925 causes theseal surface 2924 to effectively serve as a channel that diverts ordirects any such water away from the cargo bed 24.

In some embodiments, the extension wall 2916 may be configured to coversubstantially the entire inside (i.e. cargo bed facing) surface of thetailgate, to avoid the formation of an edge that could potentially causea catch point when maneuvering cargo in/out of the cargo bed. In anotherembodiment, the inside (cargo bed facing) surface of the tailgate may beconfigured with a recess that receives the extension wall 2916. In thisway, the exposed side of the extension wall 2916 has a flush interfacewith the inside (cargo bed facing) surface.

The rail system 2940 is dimensioned to receive the tonneau cover 938 ina manner that has the appearance of a flush-mounted system. It will benoted that the tonneau cover 938 partially overlaps the bed rail 34 ofat least the first side rail 2948, the second side rail (not shown), andthe tailgate rail 2952. To avoid the appearance of a top-mounted tonneaucover, and therein achieve the desired flush-mounted appearance, theedges of the tonneau cover 938 aligning to the first side rail 2948, thesecond side rail, the tailgate rail 2952 and the mount rail (not shown)are received in the seat of the respective rail body. Accordingly, thethird seat wall 2995 for each respective rail is dimensioned toestablish a seat depth that approximately matches the thickness of thetonneau cover 938 around the periphery thereof, including a seal or anysimilar pliant sealing structure. The second seat wall 2994 establishesa first seat width and is configured to receive the frame undersidesurface 2928 (including the second edge seal 2926) of each tonneau coverpanel, and the first seal wall 2992 establishes a second seat width andis configured to receive the flange 9115 (including the first edge seal2922) of each tonneau cover panel. The second seat wall 2994 for eachrespective rail provides the base of the seat, and is positioneddirectly upon and is provided support by the upper surface 33 of therespective bed rail 34. With this arrangement, the outside surface ofthe shape-defining region 2902 of each respective rail appear generallyflush with the topside planar surface of the tonneau cover 938.

As described above with respect to the rail system 940, the first andsecond side rails may be configured with ports that permit access to thestake pockets provided as part of the cargo bed structure. Further, thevarious rails making up the rail system 2940 are generally formed of thesuitable plastic material described above with respect to the railsystem 940. The rail system 2940 may additionally comprise a metal capor other covering to provide additional protection to the rail systemcomponents. The rail system, in particular the interior rail surface2974 may additionally comprise features that impart additionalperformance characteristics. For instance, the rails making up the railsystem may additionally include a system of ribs, one or both of lateraland longitudinal ribs that impart additional stiffening characteristicsto the rail system. The ribs may be continuous, or discontinuous,depending on the application. Structural enhancements may also beachieved through a range of other features molded onto the interior railsurface.

Tonneau Cover Panel Construction

The first, second and third panels 942, 944, 946 making up the tonneaucover 938 may be formed in a number of ways. For example, each of thepanels maybe blow molded to achieve the desired panel configuration. Thepanels may also be formed using an injection molding or thermoformingprocess, wherein a pair of mating shells are formed and assembled intothe desired panel configuration. In a preferred construction, each ofthe first, second and third panels 942, 944, 946 is formed as acomposite layered panel or sandwich panel having the same constructionas the sandwich panel 48 described above with respect to FIG. 3, inwhich the sandwich panel includes a structural core bounded on a coretop surface by a first layered component and on a core bottom surface bya second layered component.

Tonneau Cover Components

It will be appreciated that the tonneau cover 36, 250, 938 willadditionally include a variety of other functional components, forexample mechanisms that permit for latching/locking of the tonneau coverin the closed position, as well as the associated disengagementmechanisms. Latching/locking mechanisms may include, but are not limitedto rotary latches, and slam latches.

While various embodiments according to the present invention have beendescribed above, it should be understood that they have been presentedby way of illustration and example only, and not limitation. It will beapparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that various changes inform and detail can be made therein without departing from the scope ofthe invention. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present inventionshould not be limited by any of the above-described exemplaryembodiments but should be defined only in accordance with the appendedclaims and their equivalents. It will also be understood that eachfeature of each embodiment discussed herein, and of each reference citedherein, can be used in combination with the features of any othercombination. All patents and publications discussed herein areincorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for covering an opening of a cargo bedof a pickup truck, the tonneau cover comprising: a tonneau cover forcovering the opening of the cargo bed of the pickup truck; and a railsystem for mounting the tonneau cover to the cargo bed of the pickuptruck, wherein the rail system includes a first side rail, a second siderail, a tailgate rail, and a mount rail, and wherein each of the firstside rail, the second side rail, the tailgate rail, and the mount railinclude a profile wall with an outside surface and at least two seatwalls that collectively define a seat configured to receive the tonneaucover such that the outside surface of the profile wall is flush with atopside planar surface of the tonneau cover, wherein the seat is definedby a first seat wall, a second seat wall configured to be positioned ina substantially horizontal orientation relative to the cargo bed, and athird seat wall extending between the first seat wall and the secondseat wall at an angle between 120 and 150 degrees relative to the secondside wall.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first siderail, the second side rail, the tailgate rail, and the mount railfurther include a wall extension that is configured to seat against aninboard surface of a bed rail of the cargo bed and a first end of theprofile wall is configured to be positioned up an outboard surface of abed rail of the cargo bed.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the firstseat wall is configured to be positioned at an angle between 5 and 30degrees relative to the cargo bed.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein afirst edge seal is affixed to the first seat wall, the first edge sealbeing continuous along a length of each of the first side rail, thesecond side rail, the tailgate rail, and the mount rail and beingconfigured to engage an edge frame of the tonneau cover.
 5. The systemof claim 4, wherein the first edge seal is a bulb seal.
 6. The system ofclaim 4, wherein a second edge seal is coupled to a frame undersidesurface of the edge frame of the tonneau cover around a periphery of thetonneau cover, and the second seat wall is configured to engage with thesecond edge seal.
 7. The system of claim 3, wherein a rail body includesthe profile wall, the first seat wall, and the second seat wall and therail body is formed as a unitary structure.
 8. The system of claim 3,wherein the first seat wall is dimensioned to establish a seat depth ofthe seat that approximately matches a thickness of the tonneau cover andwherein the second seat wall defines a base of the seat that isconfigured to receive a frame underside surface of the tonneau cover. 9.The system of claim 1, wherein the first seat wall is positioned at anangle θ between 5 and 30 degrees relative to the second side wall. 10.The system of claim 1, wherein a first edge seal is coupled to a frameunderside surface of an edge frame of the tonneau cover around aperiphery of the tonneau cover, and the first seat wall is configured toengage with the first edge seal.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein asecond edge seal is coupled to the frame underside surface of the edgeframe of the tonneau cover around the periphery of the tonneau cover,and the second seat wall is configured to engage with the second edgeseal.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the first edge sealand the second edge seal is a plurality of flexible filaments.
 13. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein each of the first side rail, the second siderail, the tailgate rail, and the mount rail further include a wallextension that is configured to seat against an inboard surface of a bedrail of the cargo bed and wherein a hump is disposed at a transitionarea between the second seat wall and the wall extension, the hump beingconfigured to divert any water disposed thereon away from the cargo bed.14. The system of claim 1, wherein the third seat wall is dimensioned toestablish a seat depth of the seat that approximately matches athickness of the tonneau cover, the second seat wall defines a firstseat width of the seat that is configured to receive a frame undersidesurface of the tonneau cover, and the first seat wall defines a secondseat width that is configured to receive a flange of the tonneau cover.15. The system of claim 1, wherein the tonneau cover includes at leastone sandwich panel including a structural core having a top surface anda bottom surface, wherein the structural core is a honeycomb structure,a first layered section coupled to the top surface of the structuralcore, and a second layered section coupled to the bottom surface of thestructural core, wherein each of the first layered section and thesecond layered section includes a reinforcement layer, and wherein atleast one of the reinforcement layers of the first layered section andsecond layered section is a carbon fiber mat.
 16. The system of claim15, wherein the honeycomb structure is formed from aluminum.
 17. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the tonneau cover has a first panel, a secondpanel, and a third panel and wherein the tonneau cover includes a closedconfiguration in which the first panel, the second panel, and the thirdpanel are configured to fully cover the cargo bed of the pickup truck, afirst open configuration in which the first panel is folded onto thesecond panel, and a second open configuration in which an assembly ofthe first and second panels is folded onto the third panel.